Rudder



March 23, 1937. L ADAMS 2,074,765

RUDDER Filed Nov. 22, 1932 Patented Mar. 23, 193'? RUDDER Herbert Luther Adams, Washington; D. C. i

Application November 22, 1932, Serial No. 644,562

4 Claims. (01. 244-88) This invention relates to steering mechanism 1 or rudders for flying machineaand the application'is a continuation in part of my prior application Serial No. 461,412, filed April 14, 1921,

5 1 andzsince maturing into Patent 1,888,418.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide aflying machine steering mechanism having a maximum of rigidity and effectiveness when in active use, and offering a minimum of resist'ance' in straight night.

A further object of the invention is to provide a steering mechanism of the character aforesaid in which the same control means may be employed for steering in air, on land, or on water.

A further object of theinvention is to provide a steering mechanism of the character aforesaid in which the center of gravity of the rudder may be shifted with respect to its point of support. A steering mechanism in accordance with this invention employing rudders of various shapes is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective of a flying machine showing a steering mechanism in acgfirdance with this invention associated there- Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical section through the rudder structure as viewed from the side.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken on the line indicated at 3-3 in Figure 2.

Figures 4, 5, 6 and '7 are perspective views illustrating various shapes of rudders.

Figure 8 is a detail in section showing a modified form of mounting for the rudder.

3 Referring to the drawing in detail, the numeral I indicates generally a telescoping body which includes a rod 2 having a ball 3 fixedly mounted on the rear end thereof. A telescoping body is preferable for use with my improved steering mechanism, although any other type of body may be employed which provides a universal joint support such as the ball 3 at the rear end thereof.

Mounted on the ball 3 for universal movement is a socket forming member 4 formed of a pair of separable sections held together by a guide 5 which is also formed of a pair of separable sections secured together by means of suitable bolts 6. The guide 5 is slidably mounted on the socket forming member or bearing 4 in order that the guide may have forward and rearward sliding movement with respect to the bearing. Stops 8 are provided on the guide to prevent accidental removal of the latter from the bearing.

The guide 5 may be slidably moved with respect to the bearing 4 by means of control lines 9, and

In which extend to a point within ready reach of the operator of the flying machine, and which are provided with suitable pulleys or otherline directing means to effect movement of the guide 5 5 in opposite directions by pulling on the lines -9 and I0 selectively. One effective way of accomplishing this result is to pass the line 9 over apulley H rotatably mounted adjacent; the rear edge of "theguide 5, and s'ecurethe line" to the 10 rear face of the bearing 4 as indicated at I2. The

line It may be passed over a pulley I3 rotatably mounted adjacent the forward face of the hearing 4 and then secured to the forward edge of the guide 5 as indicated at I4. With this arrangement, a pull on the line 9 will move the guide 5 forwardly, while a pull on the line II] will move the guide rearwardly.

Movement of the guide 5 with respect to the bearing 4 shifts the center of gravity of the rudder l5 with respect to the supporting ball 20 3. The rudder I5 is of rectangular box like form and is secured to the guide 5 in concentric relation thereto by means of suitable suspension members or guys I6. Preferably there are eight of the members I6, one extending from each 25 corner of the rudder l5 to the corresponding adjacent corner of the guide 5.

In addition to the sliding movement of the rudder l5 and guide 5 with respect to the bearing 3, they also may be tilted with respect there- 30 to by means of control lines l1, l8, l9 and 20 respectively connected with the rudder l5 at the top, bottom and opposite sides of the latter. These lines pass over pulleys 2i which are carried by a bearing indicated generally at 22 35 mounted on the rod 2. From the pulleys 2|, the lines l1, l8, l9 and 2!] are extended to a point within ready reach of the operator of the flying machine. The front end of the rudder may be moved downwardly, upwardly, or to either side by a pull on the lines ll, l8, I9 and 20 respectively, or may be moved at an angle between vertical and horizontal by pulling on two adjacent lines simultaneously. For example, a pull on lines I! and I9 moves the front end of the rudder downward- 5 ly and toward the left at a diagonal angle. The leverage of the lines l1, l8, l9 and 20 may be increased by sliding the rudder forwardly by means of the line 9, or may be decreased by sliding the rudder rearwardly by means of the line [0. The sliding movement of the rudder shifts its center of gravity with respect to its fulcrum support, which has the same effect as shifting the fulcrum with respect to the rudder.

By suitably connecting the lines l9 and 20 with an auxiliary line 23 as shown in Figure 1, the steering means for land or water may be operated simultaneously with the steering means for air. In Figure 1, I shown a ground engaging wheel 24 mounted in the fork of a shaft 25 rotatably carried by the body I. A grooved wheel 26 is flxed on the shaft 25 for receiving the auxiliary line 23. When a pull is exerted on the line I9, the rear end of the rudder I5 is tilted to the left, and simultaneously the wheel 24 is turned to the right. Obviously a directly opposite efiect is obtained by a pull on the line 20.

This invention is illustrated primarily with a rectangular rudder square in cross section as' shown separately in Figure 4, which may or may not have upwardly and outwardly inclinedflns 21 projecting from opposite sides thereof as shown in Figure 1 to give additional stability. Instead of being square in cross section, therudder may be of any other suitable shape having a continuous wallconcentric to its mounting as shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7, and designated by the characters l5 a, I5!) and I50, respectively. It is believed that the cylindrical rudder I511 would ofier the least possible parasite resistance.

In Figure 8, I illustrate a separable socket forming member 28 mounted for universal movement on the ball 3, and provided with lugs 29 for connecting the same with the rudder by means of guys l6 such as 5. With this type of structure, the operation of the rudder is the same as with the structure shown in Figure 2, except that there can be no sliding movement of the rudder with respect to its fulcrum support.

Having described my invention, what I claim to be new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:--

1. In a flying machine, a body, a rigidly held ball at the rear of the body, a socket formin member mounted for universal movement on said ball, and a rudder slidably mounted on said socket forming member.

' 2. In a flying machine, a body, a universal joint supported by said body, and a rudder slidably mounted on said universal joint.

3. In a flying machine, a body, a universal joint supportedby the body, a guide member slidably mounted on said universal joint, and a rudder carried by the guide member in concentric relation thereto. 7

4, In a flying machine, a body, a universal joint supported by the body, a rudder havinga continuous wall mounted concentrically of the universal joint, means'for tilting the rudder in a selected direction about the universal joint as a fulcrum, and means for shifting the center of gravity of the rudder toward or irom'said fulcrum.

HmBERT L. ADAMS. 

